Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday started a three-month trial of biometric facial recognition entry system for domestic passengers of Vistara airline at Terminal 3.
A Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said that the participation in the trials is purely voluntary and at the discretion of the passengers. “A suitable consent form will be signed by passengers. This trial will run for three months. Subsequent roll-out plans will be made,” he added.
With the facial recognition technology, passengers’ entry would be automatically processed based on facial recognition system at all checkpoints, including airport entry, entry into security checks, and aircraft boarding.
After successful completion of the trial, the facial recognition facility would be officially launched at Terminal 3, and subsequently at other terminals at the Delhi airport.
How Will The Facial Recognition At Delhi Airport Work?
DIAL said that the enrolment process for passengers with valid flight tickets and government ID proofs will start at the registration kiosk. After this, their facial details will be captured by a camera.
Simultaneously, the documents provided by a passenger will be validated by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel present at the kiosk. “He will physically check the applicant’s ID proof and confirm on the system. Subsequently, the passenger can approach the dedicated departure e-gate, which is fitted with facial recognition cameras,” the DIAL said.
The e-gates will open automatically after the facial recognition process is completed. The passenger can then proceed towards the check-in counters to drop their bags.
The passengers can then move to security screening, where the facial recognition cameras are installed. Once the passenger clears the security screening formality, they can go and board the flight through the dedicated boarding e-gates. “These gates too open automatically after the camera recognises the passenger’s registered face,” the DIAL explained.
During the trial period, the biometric details will be stored temporarily only to enable the departure process. However, as soon as the flight departs, data of the registered passengers will be deleted. “There will be no storage of the biometric details by the airport,” the DIAL clarified.